paws4people®️
Privately Owned Service Dog Certification Program
About the Program
At paws4people®, we recognize the critical need for legitimate, accredited Service Dog certification for privately-owned dogs. Our goal is to make this accessible while maintaining the highest standards and meeting all, Assistance Dog International (ADI) requirements. By doing so, we aim to address the growing issue of poorly-trained, fraudulent “Service Dogs” in public. We are committed to being part of the solution.
Please understand that our service dog certification process is not a quick fix for access issues. It’s not simply about “paying for a vest;” instead, it’s a comprehensive, long-term path for teams committed to achieving internationally recognized credentials that meet or exceed ADI standards.
This program is offered for individuals who genuinely require the disability-mitigating tasks that highly trained Service Dogs provide, not those seeking public access.
Important Information:
If you are interested in pursuing Service Dog certification for your own dog, here are some important things you need to know:
paws4people is not providing full-service training for privately-owned dogs to become Service Dogs. Rather, we will consider integrating mature, well-trained dogs into our client training cohorts. Here, we will refine public access skills. If necessary, the team will complete a paws4people training module to master their minimum of three disability mitigation tasks. Alternatively, they may be assessed on tasks they’ve trained for independently and test out of this module. In order to be a candidate, a dog must meet the many prerequisites listed below on this page.
We will only consider certification for privately-owned dogs within the types of training we provide: Mobility Assistance, Psychiatric Service, Sensory Development-Tactile Pressure, and Medical Alert (in limited cases).
Participating in our privately-owned program will require a minimum of a six month-long relationship in our Team training program. Regardless of a dog’s age or level of training, there is absolutely no short-cut to this minimum.
In order to qualify for a paws4people certification, the human side of the Team must also qualify. The potential client will need to complete all steps of our application process to include determination of medical necessity and appropriateness for our program.
As with our internal Service Dog placement program, participation in the team training cohorts is a tuition-based program. Details about total costs are covered in the initial Discovery Call.
Dog Prerequisites:
At the time of application, dogs must be between 18 months and 4 years of age.
Dogs must be able to demonstrate reliable performance of a minimum of three disability mitigating tasks to paws4people’s standards. However, if this is not already trained, an additional module is available and paws4people will provide this training to the team, at an additional expense.
Dogs must be trained to the level of and have passed an official AKC CGC Urban test by a credentialed evaluator. Proof of evaluation will be required and will be verified directly with the evaluator.
Dogs must be deemed in good health and fit for its particular service by a veterinarian, as well as be up to date on all vaccinations and preventatives. paws4people reserves the right to require a second opinion of fit for duty by one of its own veterinarians.
How the Process Works:
Request Application Form
Request Application Form
Fill out the initial request for application form.
Discovery Call
Discovery Call
Attend a group Discovery Call via Zoom where a trainer will give an overview of the process as well as answer any general questions.
Pay Deposit
Pay Deposit
Pay a non-refundable $100 application fee.
Virtual Pre-Assessment
Virtual Pre-Assessment
Successfully complete an individual, virtual pre-assessment with a paws4people staff member to gauge your individual appropriateness for our program as well as answer your specific questions.
Digital Paperwork
Digital Paperwork
Successfully complete the paws4people application digital paperwork process. This includes medical forms, medical releases, medical references, personal references, veterinary references, trainer references, and our technical forms, liability releases, etc.
In-Person Assessment
In-Person Assessment
Schedule an in-person assessment where a paws4people trainer travels to you to do a real-life assessment of you and your dog. If they determine you are a good fit for our program, you will then be invited to our next training cohort.
Team Training
Team Training
Team training cohorts take place in-person in Wilmington, North Carolina. Multiple trips to Wilmington will be required over a span of several months. A detailed schedule of how client cohorts are laid out and what travel you can expect will be covered in the initial Discovery Call, as well as individually with you as you move through the application process.
Certification and Support
Certification and Support
